Manufacturers, Retailers Increase Consumer Electronics Recycling

Plug-In to eCycling partners expanded their electronics recycling programs and collected and recycled more than 66.5 million pounds of used electronics in 2008, nearly a 30 percent increase from the previous year, according to a press release from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Plug-In To eCycling is a partnership between the EPA and leading consumer electronics manufacturers and retailers that fosters opportunities for consumers to donate or recycle their used electronics.

“Our Plug-In partners are continuing to develop programs that help consumers protect the environment,” says Susan Bodine, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. “It’s exciting to see these programs mature rapidly at a time when people are increasingly looking for ways to do their part by recycling their used electronics.”

Plug-In partners provide a number of collection options, such as in-store take back, mail-in recycling, online trade-in and hosting local collection events for consumer electronics. Programs and partnerships developed in 2008 include:

• The Dell/Staples partnership through which consumers can recycle any Dell-branded computer product for free at any Staples store in the U.S.;
• Best Buy’s pilot program at 134 stores to test in-store take back of selected consumer electronics;
• Sony’s expansion of its partnership with Waste Management to more than 160 drop-off locations in the U.S. where consumers can recycle any Sony products, including televisions, for free;
• LG’s launch of its partnership with Waste Management, ffering free recycling of LG, Zenith and Goldstar brands;
• Samsung’s Recycling Direct program, available at more than 170 U.S. locations, and its partnership with Wal-mart, through which Durabrand and Ilo electronic products (two private brands formerly sold by Wal-mart) can be recycled at Samsung’s Recycling Direct locations; 
• The Partnership between Panasonic, Sharp and Toshiba (via their recycling platform, the Electronic  Manufacturers Recycling  Management Co.) and Goodwill Industries of Central Texas to pilot television collection and recycling;
• Toshiba’s free online take-back services for any brand of selected consumer electronics; and
• Free in-store take-back or mail-in recycling programs for cell phones and other mobile devices available from all Plug-In carriers or cell phone manufacturers.

 Plug-In partners have recycled more than 200 million pounds of electronics since 2003, according to the EPA.

More information about Plug-In to eCycling and a list of partners is available at www.epa.gov/plugin.